Spraying apparatus for treating crops and pests



April 11, 1961 E. J. BALS 2,979,269

SPRAYING APPARATUS FOR TREATING CROPS AND PESTS Filed Feb. 28, l95 6 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN ES EDWARD J BALs ATTORNEYS April 11, 1961 E. J.BALS 2,979,269

SPRAYING APPARATUS FOR TREATING CROPS} AND PESTS Filed Feb. 28, 1956 3Sheets-Sheet 2 wwm, e04, Mwnzm April 11, 1961 E. J. B'ALs 2,979,269

SPRAYING APPARATUS FOR TREATING CROPS AND PESTS Filed Feb. 28, 1956 :5Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS EDWARD J. BALs wm, 666/, 8M 9 Wm ATTORN EYSnited States Patent SPRAYING APPARATUS non TREATING CROPS AND PESTSEdward Julius Bals, Battersea, London, England, assignor to MicronSprayers Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Filed Feb. 28,1956, Ser. No. 568,387 Claims priority, application Great Britain Feb.28, 1955 Claims. (Cl. 239-77) This invention relates to sprayingapparatus forrtreating crops and destroying pests from the air. The moreusual form of apparatus when used with an aircraft comprises a fixedspray pipe having atomizing nozzles spaced apart along its length andmounted athwartships beneath the aircraft and supplied with suitablespraying fluid under pressure. Such an apparatus produces considerableair drag and is of substantial weight. An object of this invention is toavoid and minimise these disadvantages.

According to this invention a crop spraying apparatus comprises incombination with an aircraft of an atomizer having a rotatable hollowperforated body, means for supplying spraying fluid to the inside ofsaid perforated body and means for rotating said body at such a speedthat the fluid in passing through the perforations is atomized. Anapparatus of this kind is of comparatively small bulk and thus presentsonly a little wind resistance. The term hollow perforated body is meantto include a structure having holes, slots or other forms of apertures.

Vortices are formed by the passage of an aircraft through the air whichvortices commence at certain locations on the aircraft such as the wingtips in a winged aircraft, and the engines. that the atomizers aredisposed at or near those locations. By these means the resulting cloudsof mist are comparatively widely spread,

The means for rotating the perforated body may comprise an air impeller,either driving said perforated body direct or through a suitabletransmission. Alternatively the means for rotating the perforated bodymay comprise a separate motor also either directly connected to saidbody or through a suitable transmission.

In one construction according to the invention an atomizer for sprayingcrops is characterised in that the rotatable hollow perforated bodycomprises at least one sleeve formed from wire mesh which sleeve haslocated therein said means for supplying the spraying liquid.

In an arrangement in which a number of nested coaxially arranged wiremesh sleeves are provided the innermost sleeve may have a larger meshthan the outer sleeve.

Preferably an outer sleeve is spaced away from the adjacent sleeve.

The means for supplying the spraying liquid may comprise a fixed sprayhead having a number of radially extending spray passages.

In an alternative form of construction an elongated rotatable perforatedsleeve is provided and a spray pipe is arranged within the sleeve so asto extend along the length thereof. The elongated sleeve may be mountedon bearings carried by said pipe. The elongated sleeve may be formedfrom a number of cylindrical sections arranged end to end on asupporting structure rotatably mounted on said pipe. The supportingstructure may comprise a tube formed with or having attached theretoradially extending flanges at its ends secured to housings for bearingsengaging the spray pipe and annular plates spaced apart along the tubeand having the cylindrical A feature of this invention is 2 of saidhousings may be formed as a V pulley providing a part of a belt andpulley drive for the perforated body.

A supporting structure may be attached to one end of said spray pipe.

The supporting structure has a part thereof which is mounted on aspindle having fixed thereto a propeller and driving pulley. The latterpart of the supporting structure is adjustable in relation to the partcarrying the perforated body so as to enable the tension on the belt tobe adjustable.

The following is a more detailed description of two alternative forms ofatomizer according to the invention and suitable for attachment to anaircraft, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a section through one form of atomizer,

Figure 2 is a section through another form of atomizer,

Figure 3 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of the atomizer showingit in position on its mounting, I

'Figure 4 is a side elevation looking from the opposite side of theatomizer to that of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a partial end elevation looking from the left of Figure 3.

The atomizer comprises a hollow spindle 10 externally threaded at oneend 11 for attachment to a bracket which is secured to the aircraft sothat the spindle extends in a fore and aft direction. The spindle isstepped externally to provide a shoulder 12 against which rests a ballrace 13. The spindle beyond the ball race is provided with twoconcentrically arranged spacing sleeves 14, 15 which are arrangedrespectively to abut the inner and outer races 17, 16 of the ball raceand also to engage the inner and outer races 19, 18 of the second ballrace 20. A cup shaped body 21 having a hole 22a in the bottom 22 thereofis passed over the spindle so that the interior wall 22b of the cupengages the outer race 16 of the first said ball bearing 13. The mouth21a of the cup shaped body is enlarged at 23 and is provided withinternal screw threads 23a which areengaged by the rim 24 of a secondand smaller cup shaped sleeve or body 25 which accommodates the secondball bearing 20 and a part of the outer spacing sleeve 14. The secondcup shaped body is provided with two axially spaced radially extendingflanges 26, 27 and at its centre is formed with an axially extendinghollow boss 28. The internal diameter of the hollow boss is considerablylarger than the spindle 10 which projects through it. The projecting endof the spindle is externally threaded at 33 and receives a nut 29 havinga reduced portion 30 which projects through the hollow boss 28 andengages the inner race 19 of the second ball bearing 20. The nut 29 isalso provided with a rim portion 31 which extends around the outersurface of the hollow boss 30. The threaded bore 29a of the nut isclosed at 32 at the outer end and is of such a length as to extendbeyond the end of the screw threaded spindle leaving an internal spacefrom which radially extend a number of passages 34.

as already indicated the second cup shaped body part 25 1s provided withtwo outwardly directed flanges 26, 27

spaced axially apart. The outermost flange 27 is pro 1 the diameter ofthe flange 27, while the inner surface of perforated portions attachedto their peripheries. One

the ring projects inwardly from the pillars. Certain of the reducedextremities of the pillars extend through holes in a cover plate 35which has a spigot portion 40 which lies within the ring 38. Anotherpart of the plate overlies the outer face of the ring and projectsoutwardly from savages 3 its periphery. The projecting ends of thepillars are screw threaded to receive securing nuts 9. p

Before the ring and cover plates are placed in position a sleeve 41 ofwire mesh is disposed within the'pillars and rests against the outerface of the outer flange 27. The ring is then placed in position and aninner sleeve 43 of larger mesh is arranged within the ring so as to abutthe outer face of the outer flange and an outermost sleeve 42 of wiremesh arranged to encircle the ring and the outermost flange and to abutagainst the outer face of the inner flange 26. The cover plate 39 isthen clamped in position thus holding the various sleeves of wire meshin position.

The outer face of the first said cup shaped member 21 may be drilled andtapped to receive securing screws 44 by which either an impeller 45 orpulley 8 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 driven by an impeller issecured thereto.

The atomizer shown in Figure 2 comprises a spray pipe 46 having astepped bore 47 and narrow radial passages 48 extending outwardly fromeach portion of the stepped here. The end of the spray pipe containingthe narrow bore is reduced at 49 and the end of the bore is closed by ascrew threaded plug 50. The reduced end of the spray pipe is supportedin a ball bearing 51 which is located within a housing 52. The ballbearing is retained in the housing by a nut 53 which engages a threadedend 54 of the reduced portion of the spray pipe and bears against theend of a spacing sleeve 55 the other end of which abuts against theinner race of the ball hearing. The housing is closed by a cover plate56. Similarly the other end of the spray pipe is supported in a ballbearing 57 arranged in a housing 58 shaped to provide a V pulley 59. Thetwo housings 52 and 58 each have secured to them, by screws 60, anannular plate 61 having a cylindrical externally threaded flange 62 atthe inner edge thereof which threaded flanges are engaged by theinternally threaded ends of a perforated or apertured sleeve or tube 63.

Spaced apart along the tube are number of annular plates 64 having rimportions 65 surrounding their peripheries, thus providing a number ofpairs of spaced annular plates. Each pair of spaced annular plates havesecured thereto at least one sleeve of metal gauze 66. As will be seenthe spray pipe is provided near each end thereof with a shoulder 67against which abuts one part 68 of a labyrinth seal the other part ofwhich labyrinth seal is formed on the inner face of each of the housings52, 58. Each labyrinth seal prevents the spray liquid from creepingalong the spindle into the bearings. The bearing housing 58 is closed bya cover plate 69.

The end of the spray pipe projects beyond this cover plate 69 and isprovided with threaded portions 70, 71 by which the spray pipe may beattached to a support and to a supply pipe through which it receivesspray liquid under pressure. The end of the spindle is also providedwith a cylindrical portion 72 which is engaged by a bore of a hollowboss 73 secured to the upper end of an upright 74 having a foot 75arranged to rest on a part of the surface of the aircraft. Secured alsoto the hollow boss are two legs 76 which diverge as they extenddownwardly and each is provided with a lug 77 at its lower extremity. Apropeller 78 and a pulley 79 are fixed to a spindle 37 and arranged oneon either side of a bearing 86 which accommodates the spindle. Extendingdownwardly from the bearing is an upright 81 having a cross piece 82secured to its lower end which cross piece has lugs 83 at its extremityoverlying the lugs 77. The two pairs of lugs may be arranged to straddlethe spar of a wing of the aircraft and be drilled to receive a pivot pin84 adapted to extend through matching holes in the spar and lugs. Thusthe upright 81 may be swung in relation to the part 76 thereby adjustingthe tension of the belt 85 which surrounds the two pulleys. Thisswinging movement may be imparted by a screw jack arrangement 86connected between the boss 73 or upright 81 or between parts securedthereto. As previously indicated the propeller might be mounted directlyon the housing 58 in which case the pulley 79 and the bearing 89 couldbe dispensed with or again in either arrangement the propeller could bereplaced by an electric motor. Although the invention is described forattachment to the wing of an aircraft it can be attached to other partsand could also be used with a helicopter or even on a land vehicle.

I claim:

1. A liquid spraying apparatus for crops comprising a fixed hollowsupply head for the liquid to be sprayed and adapted for attachment to asupport, a gauze drum rotatably and coaxially mounted on the fixedsupply head, said head having at least one passage formed thereindirected outwardly towards the inner surface of the gauze drum, and anair impeller connected to said gauze drum.

2. A liquid spraying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said supplyhead comprises a fixed spindle having an axial bore communicating withsaid outwardly directed passage and at one end a terminal portionadapted for the introduction of liquid into said bore, said terminalportion comprising the means for feeding said liquid, a sleeve isrotatably mounted on the spindle and is attached to said gauze drum andan air impeller is connected to said sleeve and comprises said drivingelement.

3. A liquid spraying apparatus for crops comprising a fixed hollowsupply head for the liquid to be sprayed and adapted for attachment to asupport, a gauze drum rotatably and coaxially mounted on said fixedsupply head, said head having at least one passage formed thereindirected outwardly towards an inner surface of the gauze drum, a pulleyconnected to said gauze drum, a rotatably mounted air impeller, a secondpulley connected to said air impeller, and a belt encircling saidpulleys.

4. A liquid spraying apparatus for crops comprising a fixed hollowsupply head for the liquid to be sprayed and including a perforatedpipe, a supporting bracket to which one end of said pipe is secured, agauze drum rotatably and coaxially mounted on said supply head, theperforations in said pipe being directed outwardly towards the innersurface of said gauze drum, a pulley rotatably supported by said pipeand secured to the end of said gauze drum adjacent said bracket, an armsecured to said bracket, an air impeller rotatably mounted on said arm,a second pulley connected to said impeller, and a driving beltencircling the two pulleys.

5. A liquid spraying apparatus according to claim 4 and furthercomprising an adjusting member, said arm being mounted for pivotalmovement relatively to said bracket and engaging with said adjustingmember to enable the distance between the pulleys to be adjusted.

6. A liquid spraying apparatus for crops comprising a fixed hollowsupply head for the liquid to be sprayed, said supply head being adaptedfor attachment to a support and including a perforated pipe, at gauzedrum rotatably and coaxially mounted on said pipe and comprising anumber of gauge cylinders arranged end to end, the inner surface of saiddrum being contacted in use by a spray of liquid issuing from theperforations in said pipe, and a driving element connected to said gauzedrum.

7. A liquid spraying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein bearingsare arranged on said pipe and said gauze drum also comprises anapertured tube having at its ends flanges supported by said bearings,said flanges supporting the outer edges of said gauze cylinders andspaced annular plates are mounted on said tube to support the remainingedges of said gauze cylinders.

8. A liquid-spraying apparatus for crops comprising a fixed hollowsupply head including a perforated pipe for the'liquid to be sprayed,said supply head being adapted for attachment to a support, a gauze drumcomprisinga number of nested wire mesh sleeves rotatably and co- 5 6axially mounted on said pipe, said pipe being arranged References Citedin the file of this patent in use to direct a spray of said liquid ontothe inner sur-- UNITED STATES PATENTS face of said gauze drum, and adriving element connected 923 856 Kestner June 8 1909 Sam 3"? drum:1,724,627 Varnau Aug. 13: 1929 9. A liquid spraying apparatus accordingto claim 8, v5 1 887 416 Maflack Nov 8 1932 wherein the outermost ofsaid nest of sleeves is spaced 2:056:296 H'I::::

away from the next adjacent sleeve.

10. A liquid spraying apparatus according to claim 8, Y FOREIGN PATENTSv wherein the innermost of said nest of sleeves is composed 302,980Great Britain Dec. 24, 1928 of coarser wire mesh than the remainder ofsaid sleeves. 10 647,394 Great Britain Dec. 13, 1950

